Music, or rather, Mozart, is the heartbeat of Vienna. Everywhere you turn, you’ll catch Mozart in the form of cafes, hotels, chocolates and even cakes! It’s amazing how the capital of music has commercialized Mozart to the extent that his name has been seamlessly integrated into the daily lives of its people. Imagine eating a Mozart cake, in a Mozart cafe at a Mozart hotel… you get the drift.

Jokes aside, it was Mozart and classical music that led me to Austria. I wanted to take a journey back in time to experience the lives and music of the composers through visits to their apartments and concert halls where they have performed at during the peak of their careers. This trip, my main focus was on Mozart, one of the most influential and celebrated composers of all time.

Our first stop was Mozarthaus, the apartment where Mozart spent most of his golden years. Although Mozart was born in Salzburg, it was in this apartment in Vienna that he composed some of his greatest works, including famous operas such as the Marriage of Figaro, Don Giovanni and The Magic Flute. This apartment was also Mozart’s most expensive home as he acquired it at his peak when he was a fast-rising celebrity with considerable wealth.

I have always been a fan of classical music, probably due to my exposure to this particular genre of music during the most impressionable years of my life.

So there I was, in Mozart’s house, like an inquisitive little girl with endless questions about his life and his incredible works. I felt an immense sense of satisfaction after I completed the informative tour, which really quenched my thirst for knowledge. I gained insights into the series of events that had an impact on his works and achievements as well as the various people in his life who supported and believed in him, thereby leading to his success and ironically, his eventual downfall as well.

If you are interested, you can also read more about my love for classical music here. I’ll be very happy to hear from fellow classical music lovers, so do drop me a note if you’re one too! 🙂

In the mean time, here are some of Mozart’s immortal works for your listening and viewing pleasure!

For those of you who are interested to learn more about Mozart, you may also wish to watch the movie Amadeus for a quick introduction. Here’s a trailer that I found on youtube. 😉

And finally, here’s my all-time favourite composition, Piano Concerto No. 21 in C 2nd movement. This composition is now widely known as the “Theme from Elvira Madigan” as it was featured as the theme song of Swedish film Elvira Madigan which depicts a tragic love story between a tightrope walker and a married Lieutenant.

As morbid as it sounds, the tune is strangely evocative of tragic love, where the couple is resigned to their fate and have finally found peace in death. The melancholic melody, especially in the solo piano section, is mysterious and dramatic yet inexplicably serene.

This week has been a whirlwind of a week on all fronts. I am so glad the long weekend is finally here! Well, aren’t we all? 🙂

It has been a while since I last did an outfit post. I thought it would be timely for me to share this season’s fall colours with you before I continue writing about Austria and its intriguing sights. Here’s what I wore to MBS:

Camel is the new black for Fall 2010. I’ve always loved this colour but I didn’t know that this was THE colour for fall this year, at least not till I hit the stores and flipped through the magazines.

I like red too, but I don’t usually wear a lot of this colour for some reason. Coincidentally, bright red is another exciting hue to watch out for this season.

Mix these two colours together and voila, you’re all ready to paint the streets red this fall! Who would have thought that red and camel were such a good match?

One of Vienna’s delicacies is the Sacher Torte, a chocolate sponge cake that comprises two layers of apricot preserve. It is traditionally served with whipped cream without sugar and the highlight of the cake lies in its chocolate icing, which is said to be made up of 3 types of chocolates specially sourced from Belgium and Lübeck.

The famous Sacher Torte was invented by Franz Sacher in 1832 when he was a 16 year old apprentice chef. The head chef of Prince Matternich was then commissioned to bake a cake to impress his guests, but this important task befell Franz Sacher when the head chef was found ill. Sacher rose to the occasion and the cake was very well-received by the Prince’s guests. As you could probably guess, the rest was history. By a stroke of luck, Franz Sacher became an accidental inventor and the Sacher Torte was catapulted to fame.

Several anecdotes revolving around the Sacher Torte have been circulated over the years, including speculations that the cake’s recipe, which remains a closely-guarded secret today, was later perfected by his son, Eduard. The cake was then sold at Demel Bakery and Hotel Sacher, a hotel founded by Eduard.

The original Sacher Torte cake is now sold at Cafe Sacher, located at Hotel Sacher. Honestly, I wasn’t particularly impressed by the cake as I found it a tad too dry and sweet for my liking. Perhaps it was because the recipe has not been improved upon since the 19th century despite changes in tastes and preferences.

On the other hand, the apple strudel (another Viennese delicacy!) was a delight to savour. The Viennese love strudels and they sell it with various types of fillings. I chose the traditional apple strudel. Yummy!

What I loved most was the ambience of the cafe, which was largely attributed to the opulent baroque style furnishings, ornate wallpaper and ceiling fixtures. And there I was, sipping my favourite bitter lemon drink and nibbling on sweet treats in the lap of luxury. Talk about pure, unadulterated bliss!